Loose-leaf binder



April 5 1927. 1,623,524

A. L. BOYER LOOSE LEAF BINDER Filed March a, 1926' .13 5b we n fox A? affocnnas Patented Apr. 5, 1927.

UNITED STATES ALBERT L. BOYER, OF MARION, INDIANA.

LOOSE-LEAF BINDER.

Application filed March '8, 1926. Serial No. 93,330.

This invention relates to loose leaf binders and one objectof the invention is to provide the'binder with improved leaf-engaging rings sosecured to a mounting strip that they will be rigidly connected therewith.

Another object of the invention is to so form the leaf-engaging rings that the leaves may be readily engaged with the rings and turned without catching against the open ends of the rings.

Another object of the invention is to so mount the ring-carrying strip that it may be detached from the back of the binder.

This invention is illustrated in the acoompanying drawing, wherein- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the im- I proved loose leaf binder;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1 with the leaves omitted;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of one of the leaf-engaging rings and a fragment of its mounting strip;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2 illustrating a modified construction, and

' ig. 5 is a. bottom planview illustrating a further modified construction.

The body portion of the binder is preferably formed of soft leather and is creased to form the back 1 and front and rear cover sheets 2 and 3'which are of greater length and width than the sheets of paper 4 to be received in. the binder. A strip 5 which is formed of sheet metal and of less length and width than the back 1 of the binder is disposed longitudinally of the back and formed adjacent its ends with openings 6 adapted to receive fasteners 7 by means of which the strip 5 is secured to the back.

'The fasteners may be of any conventional construction but in the preferred form are constructed, as shown in Fig. 2. Referring to this figure, it will be seen that each of the fasteners includes a head 8 adapted for flat contacting engagement with the outer face of the back 1 and arms or prongs 9 which are passed through the hack and strip 5 and bent to extend in overlying engagement with the outer face of the strip. These fasteners may be easily. put in PltH't. and when clinched, as shown in Fig. 2, they will firmly hold the strip 5 in enga'g'en'lent with the back 1 but permitthe strip to be easily removed when desired. It will, therefore,

be seen. that the binders before being sold may have the backs kept in a stack upona shelf and the strips 5 and rings carried thereby stored in a box or other convenient receptacle where they will be out of the way and take up a minimum amount of space. It will also be evident that if so desired additional strips 5 maybe purchased so that when a record of transactions has been kept for a given len th of time the sheets of paper together with the strip 5 and paper-engaging rings may be removed from a binder and filed away as a permanent record and a new strip and sheets of paper mounted in the binder.

The sheets of paper are formed with openings 10 near one side edge, and these openings are adapted to receive the rings 11 which are rigidly secured to the strip 5 transversely thereof. The rings may be spot welded to the strip 5, as shown at 12 in Fig. 2, or a hollow rivet 13 may be welded to each ring, as shown in Fig. 4, and the stem 1 1 of the rivet passed through an 0 ening formed in the strip 5 and clincilied against the inner face of the strip. The rings are split rings, and referring to Fig. 3 it will be seen that in forming the split rings each is cut diagonally and the separated end portions of the ring offset transversely of each other so that the diagonally extending end faces 15 of the ring are partially overlapped. By having the separated end portions olfset and in partially overlapped relation to each other, a sheet of paper when turned will move from one end portion of the ring onto its other end portion and, since it will contact with the diagonally extending end face of the second end portion of the ring, it will not catch upon the pointed end of the second end portion of. the ring and become torn. Therefore, the sheets may be free] y turned without danger of becoming torn loose from the rings.

If the binder is formed with a back having sutlicieut stillness to retain a rivet, the strip 5 may be omitted and rings, such as shown in Fig. 5, employed. The ring shown in this figure and indicated in general by the numeral 16 is of the same construction shown in Fig. 4, except that the rivet 13 is 17 formed in the widened and flattened portion 18 which constitutes a base for the ring.

-Having thus described the invention, I claim:

1. In a loose leaf binder, a mounting strip adapted to be secured upon a carrier, a mounting strip extending longitudinally of said back and secured thereto, and leafengaging rings secured to said strip transversely thereof and each formed with a diagonally extending slit to provide the ring with separated end portions having diagonally disposed end faces, the said end portions being ofi'set transversely of each other with their end faces only partially overlapped. v

' 2. In a loose lea-f binder, a hat-engaging ring formed with a diagonally extending slit providing separated ends for the ring, the said ends being ofi'set transversely of the ring.

3. In a loose leaf binder, a leaf-enga ing ring formed with a diagonally exten ing slit to provide the ring with separated end portions having diagonally extending end faces, .the said end portions being ofi'set transversely of the rmg and having their end faces disposed in only partial overlapped relation to each other.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

' ALBERT L. BOYER. [1 8. 

